Gabby Douglas, 3-time Olympic gold medalist, announces gymnastics comeback: "Let's do this"

2024-12-24 21:21:50 source: category:News

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas has announced she's making a return to competitive gymnastics. 

In her first Instagram post since August, the 27-year-old gymnast wrote Thursday that she "did a lot of journaling, reflecting, soul searching and found myself back where it all began."

Douglas said she found "peace" after many years of having an "ache" in her heart. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gabby Douglas (@gabbycvdouglas)

"i wanted to find the joy again for the sport that i absolutely love doing," she said."i know i have a huge task ahead of me and i am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor."

Near the end of the caption, Douglas suggested she has her eye on the 2024 Olympics in Paris. 

"there's so much to be said but for now….💪 😎let's do this #2024" she said. 

Douglas won the all-around gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, becoming the first Black American to win the title. She also won the team gold medal then and again in the Rio Games in 2016

In 2017, after being accused of "victim shaming" her fellow teammates, Douglas said she was also abused by former gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, who is currently serving decades in prison for sexually abusing athletes. She revealed then that she waited so long to reveal the abuse by Nassar because she was part of a group "conditioned to stay silent." 

She announced she was taking a break from social media last year citing her mental health and returned on Thursday to announce her comeback to the sport.

Douglas faces competition in her return: All three previous Olympic winners of the all-around event –  Douglas, Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee – will be vying for a spot. Biles and Lee were recently confirmed as participants in the U.S. Classic set for August. 

    In:
  • Sports
  • Olympics
  • USA Gymnastics
Christopher Brito

Christopher Brito is a social media manager and trending content writer for CBS News.

More:News

Recommend

Pistons' Tim Hardaway Jr. leaves in wheelchair after banging head on court

In a scary third-quarter sequence, Detroit Pistons guard Tim Hardaway Jr. took an elbow to the face,

Ukraine breaches Russia's defenses to retake Robotyne as counteroffensive pushes painstakingly forward

Kharkiv, Ukraine — Russian authorities confirmed on Sunday that Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin

Alabama presses effort to execute inmate by having him breathe pure nitrogen. And the inmate agrees.

Montgomery, Ala. — Alabama is seeking to become the first state to execute a prisoner by making him